


The Calm Before the Storm

by WyattShepard



Series: Dungeons and Dragons [3]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 07:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12700497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WyattShepard/pseuds/WyattShepard
Summary: Parts 1 and 2 of the events that lead to As the Dust Settles, since I am doing these backwards for some reason.





	1. The Calm Before the Storm Part 1/2

Adaar loaded his plate with a generous amount of ham from the buffet and joined Kayn where he was leaning against the wall. The pair didn’t really blend in but the seven-foot familiar following behind Adaar made sure that the group stood out amongst the room. The mage took a bite of ham and glanced over at the assassin.

            “So I haven’t heard you talk much since you turned all blue,” he commented pointing his fork at Kayn. The other man merely glanced over slightly.

            “That’s because I won,” he stated simply with a wicked smirk, “I beat the Darkin in the battle for my body. It probably doesn’t make much sense to someone who-” he spared a glance at the mage and found him scribbling away in his notebook. The assassin’s mouth hung open for a moment before he rolled his eyes. Garuda took this moment to speak, making Kayn jump slightly at the sound of her voice.

            “From my time with my master, I have learned that he does this quite often. He calls it ‘taking notes’ but I am still not completely sure-” she let her sentence trail off as she sniffed at the air once; and then two more times. She looked across the room and then back at the mage.

            “ _I smell... Something,”_ she thought into their telepathic link as she sniffed the air twice more, “ _something carbonated… Harrada leaf and… Mandrake root.”_ The mage’s pen stopped writing suddenly.

            “That’s the base for an affection poison,” he said, almost to himself as he looked up from the notes. Kayn raised an eyebrow at his companion before looking in the direction Garuda had. Across the dining hall three elves were eating, the one in the middle Kayn recognized as the priestess Sumia from the other night when she had performed in the talent show. Sitting opposite of her was one of her two guards, arm extended offering the girl a drink. He squinted his eyes at the small vial and saw a heart-shaped bubble float through the liquid.

            “That one? You’re certain,” he heard from the mage to his left. Kayn remembered that Adaar existed then as he heard the man speak.

            “Yes. The smell is intoxicating now,” the familiar responded with a scowl, attempting to cover her face with one of her clawed hands. The mage frowned and summoned his magic. His normally blue eyes glowed silver for a moment as he cast Detect Magic and saw a pink aura surround the elf girl.

            “I think that elf stole my potion,” he said unemotionally.

            “He’s going to regret that,” The mage added as a terrifying grin stretched across his face.

            _“Master, the assassin,”_ he heard through the telepathic link, which stopped him in his tracks. He turned to where Kayn had been and found nothing. He then had time to look back to the table in time to see his companion mid-air behind the guard standing across from the priestess.

            _“Die”_ Kayn whispered as he spun in mid-air, biting into the elf’s neck with the sythe as the guard turned around. He stumbled back in shock clutching at his bleeding neck.

            “Huh,” The mage said as he watched Kayn effectively come close to beheading the elf. He then remembered Zaazo and his curiosity spiked. The sentient blade had only spoken about blood ever since they had found it and Adaar wondered what would happen if he gave it what it wanted. He shrugged and started walking towards the table.

            _“Master?”_ He heard in his mind and felt Garuda’s uncertainty.

              _“Don’t worry, I am gonna try something,”_ He thought, sliding the blade from its magical sheath.

            “What the fuck are you doing,” exclaimed the second guard. The priestess raised her hand preparing a healing spell but before she could cast it Adaar slid the sentient blade into the dying elf’s spine.

            _“YESSSS”_ rang out in the mage’s mind and the color and light seemed to drain from the room as if a thunderstorm had appeared outside. Garuda was at her master’s side instantly, several light-green feathers slowly drifting to the ground the only sign she had moved. The dying elf made a choking sound before being sucked inside himself, as if a black hole had opened on top of him. When the light returned a grey-skinned being stood in place of the elf.

            “Fuck,” Kayn deadpanned as the scratching sound of Adaar’s pen could be heard as he took more notes down. The darkin popped the bones in his neck and inhaled deeply.

            “That’s more like it,” he said, his deep voice making the hair on Adaar’s neck stand on end.


	2. Calm Before the Storm Part 2

            Adaar took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his heart rate. The pen shook slightly despite his efforts as he finished his notes and tucked the notebook away in his coat pocket.

            “Zaazo, I presume,” he said after a moment. The darkin smiled at that.

            “Indeed, I am called Zaazo. I must thank you for freeing me from that wretched form,” the demon told him with a voice low enough to where Adaar felt the words in his chest.

            “I honestly didn’t know what that would do, so no thanks are necessary,” the mage responded evenly.

            _“Don’t take your eyes off him. I don’t like the look of this one,”_ he thought to Garuda. The familiar nodded to him to show she understood.

            “Now, I don’t know what you’ve heard about other Darkin but I for one want to pay you back for releasing me,” Zaazo continued. Adaar slowly smiled.

            “So, you will be the last one on this pathetic boat that I slaughter,” he finished, wiping the smile from the shorter man’s face. Adaar pushed his glasses up and frowned. Sumia stepped from around the table and threw her arms around the darkin, trying to kiss him.

            “Get off of me human,” he growled shoving her away.

            _“Oh gods she is still under the love poison’s effects,”_ he thought biting his lower lip, _“Garuda, I need you to get that girl away from him. Take her anywhere, just not where she can heal him!”_

            The familiar reacted immediately with a flare of wings she tackled the elvhen priestess and flew over the side of the boat with her. Adaar chuckled nervously in the silence that followed.

            _“When you get her clear ping the link so I know you’re ready. I will recall you to me and we can catch him off guard,”_ he explained in his mind and felt confirmation from the other end.

            “Tell you what: kneel before me and I will think of sparing you,” the darkin said, voice dripping with disdain. Adaar took a deep breath and closed his eyes and counted to three.

            “Now fall,” the mage whispered and opened his eyes. Garuda appeared in-between them in a shower of light-green feathers. She raked both claws into the darkin’s chest, spraying crimson in the air. Each strike rung out like a thunderclap, a perk of being a goddess of storms.

            “ahhahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHA,” Gaurda howled with laughter as she spun on her heel and swiped his feet from under him with her tail. The darkin cried out in surprise and crashed to the floor.

            Adaar slid back several feet and clapped both his hands together. A wall of water came crashing over the side of the boat and slammed into the darkin at the same time.

            “Don’t underestimate me,” Adaar shouted, his eyes shining silver behind the round-rimmed glasses.

            “Kayn,” the mage yelled, “that priestess girl must not reach Zaazo! Keep her out I don’t care what it takes.” The assassin nodded and ran up the stairs leading to the main deck.

            ----

            Garuda continued her shrieking laughter as they danced. Zaazo had recovered from the tidal wave rather quickly and was met once again with her claws. He blocked her first strike with his arm but the second claw raked into his side, followed by another tail sweep which sent him to the ground once more. The darkin had enough time to glance up to see the lightning bolt strike him in the chest. Since he was still soaked from the tidal wave, it sent him sprawling several feet backwards and curled him into a ball as his muscles tightened. Zaazo roared as he jumped to his feet, rage shining in his eyes. Garuda went in for another two claw attacks but he blocked both and kicked the tail sweep away effortlessly.

            _“Now he’s playing serious. Garuda fuse,”_ Adaar thought. She nodded to him and flew back, landing in front of him while still facing Zaazo. The mage put his hand on the middle of her back and in a gust of feathers he was gone. Garuda rolled her shoulders and popped her neck lazily.

            “Now, shall we dance,” Garuda asked, allowing herself a cocky grin that more resembled Adaar.

            _“Master, I would not suggest taking that thing as a dance partner,”_ Garuda’s voice carried concern with it.

            _“Figure of speech. I can explain more about it later,”_ Adaar responded within their shared mind. When they were fused is when they were at their deadliest. The mage could still cast spells and it was much easier when he didn’t have to worry about his safety. Garuda would match the darkin in combat while Adaar would gain heightened senses and acute control of his spells . They shared a mind, body, and soul to some degree. Of course if they fought long enough there was a chance that Garuda would have to return to her home plane to rest, which could possibly harm his soul, and it would leave her master on his own. Adaar pushed that to the back of his mind and took flight, tackling the darkin back to the ground. He was able to rake a claw across Zaazo’s chest before the demon’s tail knocked him to the side.

 _“It always takes a couple minutes to get used to the different body,”_ Adaar thought in their mind. _“He’s lucky then,”_ Garuda thought back, _“that might just give him a fighting chance.”_

 _“Damn, that’s some confidence though,”_ the mage responded, rolling with the momentum from the tail strike.

It was at this point that Kayn and Sumia came crashing through the skylight. The girl fought to

get the assassin off her but couldn’t match his strength, so she crawled a short distance and raised her palm to heal Zaazo. Garuda’s eyes widened as the soft glow grew brighter.

            _“Master the girl,”_ she thought, which was immediately follow by, _“I know I know.”_ Garuda raised her clawed hand to Sumia and a pulse of magic flew out. As soon as the counterspell hit the girl the glow in her hand died and faded. Kayn hauled her back and drew his fist back.

            “Sorry about this,” he told her, and hit her hard enough to bring pain to his knuckles. He waited a moment afterwards, wondering if that had broken her out of it. He held firm when she fought to break free, and struck her again. After every blow he would wait to see if she snapped out of it. He stopped counting after the fifth blow.

            ----

            “You will not stop me so easily abomination,” Zaazo’s thunderous voice rang out. He dashed forwards and grabbed onto Garuda. After a moment the darkin ripped Adaar and Garuda apart, both of them were thrown across the room.

            “Wait, that is impossible! What you just did shouldn’t be possible,” Adaar shouted as he scrambled to his feet. Zaazo grinned and shrugged at him mockingly. Garuda slammed into the darkin then, raking both claws into his back. He spun around in time to see her tail swipe coming and jumped clear of it. He then slashed across her face making her cry out and kicked her in the stomach. He stood over her, ready to count how many pieces he could cut her into.

            “Now…”

            The darkin turned around at the sound of Adaar’s voice.

            “Fall.”

            Zaazo didn’t have time to dodge the boulder that slammed into him, sending him crashing into the far wall. The mage manipulated another chunk of earth over to the boat from a small isle that they were currently sailing by. He began superheating it with his magic until it turned into magma. Zaazo had gotten the boulder off of him and was clutching his left arm.

            “Garuda, if you would please hold him,” even as he asked she was already moving to restrain the darkin. She flapped her wings and blew him to the ground.

            “MORTAL SCUM, YOU CANNOT DEFEAT A GOD,” Zaazo roared against the gale that held him down.

            “You are one shitty god then,” Adaar said as he flowed the magma over the prone darkin. He screamed in agony as his skin was super-heated. The mage brought water from the ocean and then cooled the magma with it. He then looked over to Garuda.

            “Are you alright, I saw him nail you in the face,” he asked as they approached the trapped darkin.

            “You know that I will heal, Master. Don’t concern yourself with me,” the familiar responded. The mage placed his hand on her cheek and cast the only healing spell he knew, which didn’t heal the gash entirely. He felt magic from across the room and looked over to see Sumia healing the gouge on Garuda’s face. Kayn helped her up and they all gathered around the stone darkin.

            “Is he dead,” Kayn asked, kicking the side of it.

            “This wasn’t meant to kill him. Killing him doesn’t guarantee that he won’t come back later. But I’ll tell you what I think will guarantee it,” Adaar said, glancing at Garuda. After a moment’s pause she nodded to him and picked up the massive stone.

            “Being trapped in stone and then dropped into the ocean doesn’t really have high chances of returning.” He nodded to Garuda and she hurled the darkin over the edge of the boat where it made a gigantic splash and dipped below the surface.

           


End file.
